Anna Malfame and the Overruled Acceptance
by akiqueen
Summary: The magic in the world is getting out of whack from Dark Magic. McGonagall resigns, asking if Hermione can be the new Headmistress. Under pressure from the Death Eaters, the Ministry assigns one of them as the new Headmaster. Anna Malfame's fifth year.
1. Chapter 1

**Previously on ****The Newest Tournament****: Anna had been chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, although she had never put her name into the Goblet. Throughout the tasks, her life gets endangered again and again, and is finally confronted by Lucius Malfoy. Her fathers assist in getting her away from him, but at the cost of their secret. They're taking her to a safe place, but exactly **_**what**_** that could be…**

**Summary: The magic in the world is getting out of whack from torrents of Dark Magic, causing magical creatures to become wild and unpredictable. McGonagall resigns, asking if Hermione Granger can be the new Headmistress. She agrees, but the Ministry has other plans. Under pressure from the Death Eaters, the Ministry assigns one of them as the new Headmaster.**

Anna Malfame and the Overruled Acceptance

Chapter One

My fathers Apparated, their bruising grips on my shoulder. We appeared in an old park, paint peeling off of the metal jungle gym and the swings creaking with rust. They hurriedly led me out, rushing down the sidewalk. Eventually, we made a harsh right turn onto a street named Privet Drive, and stopped at a house with a trim number 4 above the garage. They stopped to catch their breath, and Harry hesitated for only a second before ringing the doorbell. A woman with bristly hair tucked behind her ears opened the door. She reminded me of Grandmother Weasley. She looked over the three of us, confusion in her eyes. "Honey, will you come here?" she yelled back over her shoulder.

"Coming, Carol," a voice shouted. A bulky man appeared by her side. He was very large, but didn't look as if he were unfit. He gazed over at my dad and a sudden smile burst from his face as he warmly shook his hand.

"Harry! It's been years! The last time I saw you was when—"

"I know, Dudley. Can we come in? I have a favor to ask of you."

Once we had been arranged in various seats around a coffee table and sipping tea, Dudley explained to his wife that Harry was his cousin. Just as he turned to my dad, though, the doorbell rang again. Carol went to open the door, and admitted an elderly couple; a woman who looked like a horse and an extremely fat man. They stood, looking at us, a little shocked. From behind them came a girl who looked to be about ten. She had brown hair tied into pigtails, and immediately noticed me. She smiled and asked the couple, "Grandma, Grandpa, who are these people?" They didn't answer though, at least not immediately.

"The nerve of you coming back here!" the old man shouted, face turning purple. The woman pursed her lips, and settled down next to her daughter-in-law. She gave my dad a wide-eyed look, but said nothing against her husband. My father, Draco, withdrew his wand, holding it menacingly. The man immediately shut up, eyeing it fearfully.

"Please, Uncle Vernon, hear me out," my dad, Harry, said calmly. "You know perfectly well that I'd been very discreet about showing myself to the public these past fourteen years. Well, I've recently endangered myself and have come asking that you would take care of my daughter over the summer, so I won't endanger her." The woman beside Carol blanched, looking between me and my dad. She looked as if she were the only one who knew the full details of what my dad was telling her.

"Okay," she said, to the surprised gasp of Vernon.

"Petunia," he gasped out, enraged. She huddled to him and told him something. He immediately calmed down.

"Who are these people?" the little girl yelled, breaking the silence.

"Gwen," Carol said, taking the girl by the hand. My dad smiled. "I'm Harry, your dad's cousin. This is my daughter, Anna," he said, gesturing at me. I gave a prompt smile. Harry finally took my father by the shoulder, and his eyes softened. "And this is my husband, Draco." Carol flushed, Dudley raised an eyebrow, and Petunia was busy trying to hold down her enraged husband. Gwen came over to me and asked, "So you have _two _daddies? That's so…" She waved around her arms, and for a lack of a better word, said, "_Cool_!"

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**A/N: Originally, I was going to make Gwen the same age as Anna. But then I thought about it and changed my mind. Anyway, a new story! Hurray! The 5th one of the AM series! I hope you like the first chapter! Now I'm going to work on IYP!!! **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I sat awkwardly at the dinner table between Gwen and Carol, knowing that Vernon was staring at me whenever he thought I wasn't looking. My parents had already left, telling me that the Weasleys would come pick me up at the end of summer. For whatever reason, this only made Vernon angrier. The adults were talking with one another and I had no intention to talk until Gwen asked me, "So what's it like having two daddies?"

"It's no different from having a mom and a dad," I answered her, hoping that no one would stop talking to listen to us.

"Are your dads in trouble? Is that why you have to stay with us?" she asked again.

"You could say that. Just a short time ago, no one knew who my fathers were. Once the word got out, they knew that they'd be bothered by reporters and…more dangerous people."

"Like the police?"

"…You could say that," I answered, thinking of the Ministry and then of the remaining Death Eaters.

"Is it okay if I call you Aunt Anna?" The question shocked me until I replied, "It's alright with me, but why don't you ask your parents?" She did so. Loudly.

"Mom, dad! Is it okay if I call Anna my Aunt?!" she yelled, stopping the others' conversation.

"That would be fine with me," Carol said, looking at her husband who nodded in agreement. Vernon's face looked as if it would remain perpetually red. Carol then looked around and said, "Well, if all of you are done with dinner, I'll take out the dessert. Gwen, just finish your broccoli." Gwen looked at the offending vegetable, and just as quickly, it disappeared.

"She did magic!" I squeaked, making everyone's head turn to me.

"That word will not be used in my house!" Vernon yelled, slamming his fists onto the table, causing the silverware to rattle.

"This is hardly your house," Dudley responded calmly to his father. "And as I am Gwen's father, I will decide what happens to her. If a Hogwarts letter arrives for her, then she will be going to the school." I looked at Carol for some explanation.

"We know that Gwen's been displaying magical talent. We just kept quiet about it near Vernon, because…well, you see how he acted. The first time my daughter showed magic, Petunia explained it to us, wizards and everything. I don't really understand it, but we knew about Dudley's cousin and we were sure that he'd help. I was just as surprised as everyone else when he came in here with his husband and then _you_…" she whispered, "I wasn't even aware that it was legal to marry someone of your own gender."

"It's normal in the wizarding world. All you need is someone who has the proper rights, and they can perform the ceremony."

"Ah. And you…were you adopted?"

"Ah…no, I wasn't ma'm. I'll lend you a book about it, I'm sure that will answer anything you need to know." While we were talking, Vernon had calmed down and Gwen's dessert was half eaten. "How old is Gwen?" I asked Carol.

"She'll be turning eleven in December. So you might see her at school a year from now."

"I'll make sure to look for her," I said, smiling.

--

"Do you want to go to the library with me, Aunt Anna?" Gwen asked me in the morning after breakfast.

"If it's okay with your parents, then I don't see why not," I answered, looking at the approving nods from Gwen's mother and father. I looked over at Vernon, and I could tell that he was silently seething. I smirked as I walked out of the door.

I followed Gwen for a while before we reached a large building with _Memorial Library_ printed above its doors. We entered and I marveled at the large display of books. It was almost as big as the library back home. But most of our books were about potions and history. These were all Muggle books. Gwen led me to the children's section and I looked over the titles as she piled books into her arms. A title caught my eyes. "Merlin's pants!" I cried, getting a harsh shush from a nearby librarian.

"What's that?" a voice asked behind me.

"It's titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, written by some J.K. Rowling person. 'Read of Harry Potter's final year at Hogwarts'!" I skimmed the book, reaching the epilogue. "What is all this nonsense? He never married Ginny! And where did all of these kids come from?"

"I know what you mean. The book is as serious as Fred and George Weasley," whoever it was behind me said. I turned to look at the person, ready to give them a smile, when my heart froze and I grimaced. "Lucas Chang."

"Anna Malfame."

"Gwen Dursley," Gwen piped up from behind me, her chin on top of the books she had collected. "Who's Lucas, Aunt Anna?" she asked.

"My mortal enemy," I answered. "They must be called by their last names at all times." Gwen giggled at my words.

"But we all know what happens to mortal enemies, don't we, Aunt Anna? Your parents are living proof!" Gwen giggled out, looking between us. I didn't let myself blush, but I knew that on the inside I was as red as Laura Weasley's hair.

"Don't be silly," Chang said, his cheeks tinged with red. "I'm not interested in girls." We stared at him, and his blush only reddened. Perhaps it was because he just realized what he said. Whatever the case, he turned around and briskly walked away.

"Should we check those out, now?" I asked Gwen.

"Sure. And afterwards, lets get ourselves some ice cream."

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**A/N: Wow. I started this fic in...February? It's been a while, hasn't it? Ah, well, at least I'm back to writing this. I think I will finish this series before writing any new stories. I have some interesting ideas in mind. In case anyone is confused, please read all of the previous stories to understand. This should be an interesting year at Hogwarts, that's for sure. **

**Much love,**

**akiqueen**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

After saying goodbye to the Dursley's and driving to Platform 9 and ¾, I found myself surrounded by my friends, pressuring me to tell about my summer. After I was finished talking, Lana spoke up, "Well, that makes sense. The bit about J. K. Rowling. She's Rita Skeeter's cousin, making up stories for a profit." Suddenly, someone knocked from the outside of our room. Laura opened it, admitting a tall, blonde girl with glasses and her hair tied back. I couldn't remember seeing her anytime before, and she wasn't wearing a school robe either, even though we were nearing Hogwarts.

"You must be the exchange student," Laura said, "My mum told me all about it."

"You're right," the girl answered, giving a big smile. She was holding a big pile of books. The girl continued to talk with us, but I didn't notice what was exchanged. I was preoccupied reading the titles of the books, each having something to do with Animagi. Interesting. Sirius was an Animagus, and so was my grandfather. Not to mention that traitor, Wormtail. I also knew that the Headmistress was an Animagus. The girl caught my eyes and smiled again, before leaving our compartment. It was time to get off.

--

The Sorting Hat sang his yearly song and sorted out all of the first years before Headmistress McGonagall stood up and the students quieted down. "This year comes with many surprises," she started. "One of them being that I won't be with you the entire school year. Currently, the Ministry is still working out the paper work, but by the time it is winter break, there will be a new Headmaster. Or should I say Headmistress, as I personally recommended that Mrs. Hermione Weasley should take up the post." Cheering broke out from the students, especially from Gryffindor where Laura and her brother, Zack, were blushing proudly. "And we have another surprise. Hogwarts had agreed to partake in a student exchange program with a school in the United States. They have an excellent Tranfiguration program, and some students are even taught to become Animagi. One of our students, Lucas Chang, has switched with this student over here," the Headmistress finished, gesturing for the blond girl to speak.

"Hey everyone," she said nervously, "I'm really excited to be here. You can call me Suta."

"I've told Suta that she can pick any one of you to follow around as a guide for the entire school year. Do you have anyone in mind?" the Headmistress asked.

"Yeah, I was thinking that it'd be great to have Anna Malfame as my guide," Suta said, bringing every single student's attention back to me. I was already getting looks from students because of last year, and even though Lucas wasn't going to be here this year, it didn't make it any better that everyone was suddenly reminded about who my parents were. Suta made her way to me and asked, "Your grandfather was James Potter, right? I know who he is." I knew what she was hinting at, that he was an Animagus. Not many wizards knew that about him, especially since he was unregistered. "I'm one too," she continued. Now I was genuinely curious. Maybe it would be a good idea to be friends with this girl.

"Alright, I'll be your guide to Hogwarts," I agreed. Little did I know that this was the start of a fantastic friendship.

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**A/N: Yay, a new chapter! I was digging around my original ideas for this seven-fic series, and I found out that this fic, and the last two, will be greatly changed from my original ideas. It's okay, though :D**

**Much love,**

**akiqueen**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The week went by quickly and Suta quickly adjusted to my schedule. She had no trouble with the material being studied, seeing as it was a continuation of the things we had learned last year. After pestering her to finish her homework on Friday, I had promised her that on Saturday I'd take her on a tour of the entire school. Finally being the weekend, I fished out the Marauder's Map from the bottom of my trunk. Suta stared at the piece of parchment quizzically as I muttered, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." She cracked a smile as Hogwarts appeared before our eyes.

"Brilliant," she said.

"All right, let's go," I said in reply, although she was the one to drag me onto my feet and out the door.

--

As we explored the castle, I learned a little more about the blonde. Or maybe I learned a little more about myself. She almost always believed what I said, even when I had mentioned that a Slytherin's diet consisted of first year Hufflepuffs. I stared at her pointedly until she replied, "I can't tell when you're being sarcastic. You always sound the same when you talk."

"I do?" I asked, surprised. According to Suta, my voice didn't sound any different from normal when I was surprised, either. We visited almost all of the rooms, and I made sure to point out the Room of Requirement, how to enter the kitchens (by tickling the pear, of course), and finally, we entered Myrtle's bathroom, where I showed her the sink to the Chamber of Secrets. Suta stared at the faucet with the snake on it for a second before asking, "Do you think you could open it?" I stared at her for a little while, and hesitantly answered, "I don't think so."

"Your father's Harry Potter."

"I don't think the Parselmouth trait would've passed on, seeing as he wasn't born with it."

I sat quietly, thinking. I had never thought of my being able to speak Parselmouth, because I had passed it off as something that was tied to Harry and Harry alone. But…I did have snake blood in me, Basilisk to be exact. It was actually because of an ancient conception potion, which involved using Basilisk blood and the blood of your parents to guarantee a pregnancy. It was hardly used, seeing as Basilisk blood was very rare and expensive, not to mention poisonous. But Harry still had Basilisk venom in his blood from his bite in his second year of Hogwarts. Although the Phoenix tears were still protecting him, the magic would be unable to be passed onto the child. That means that if he had a child, they'd inherit the Basilisk venom, and die within minutes. There was no way of obtaining more Phoenix tears, or getting the actual bird, seeing as they were impossible to find, much less capture, because of their transportation abilities. The thing is, Basilisk blood is immune to its own venom (or else the snake would poison itself eating its prey), and Albus Dumbledore was smart enough to save some of the giant snake's blood. Whether it was specifically so that Harry could have a child or not, no one was sure. But the man always _did_ tend to have some insight to the future, so I wouldn't be too surprised.

I was shaken from my reverie from Suta, who dragged me to my feet and said, "How about you show me the Quidditch Pitch now? I could also show you my Animagus form to you there, if you want." I smiled and led her out.

--

I got onto my Gwiazda with Suta sitting behind me. She had told me that she didn't need a broom. I flew up into the air, until the Quidditch Pitch was tiny beneath me. Suddenly, Suta jumped off, simultaneously turning into what looked like a Peregrine Falcon. She rode the wind current up, and challenged me to a race in the air. As I chased her, I suddenly got a sense of foreboding, and motioned that I would be coming down. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I felt tiny tremors. I was so fixated on them, that I jumped in surprise when Suta came up to me as a human again. "I feel it too; something's coming," she told me. Suddenly, the earth shook, pushing me to the ground. I gripped the earth as the violent tremors rocked the foundation. I watched as the higher parts of the stands swayed dangerously. Before I had the time to process that this was an earthquake, the tremors had stopped. The two of us looked at each other, and I sighed in relief.

"Let's get back inside." We went back to the Great Hall, where I saw Laura and Zack. "Did you guys feel that earthquake?" They looked at me as if I'd sprouted wings.

"What are you talking about?" Laura asked me.

"We were outside, when the ground started shaking. I think some of the stands got damaged, come see," Suta said, leading them to the window. There were a couple of wooden planks from the top that had been knocked down from the earthquake.

"That's weird. We're supposed to have wards against that kind of dangerous weather," Laura said. "I think we'd better go discuss this with the Headmistress."

"Well, you could do that Laura, but we have a Divinations class to get to," I said. I quickly got out a piece of parchment and a quill. I inked a note to the Headmistress, signed it, and handed it to Laura, who zoomed off with her brother. "Come on Suta, we don't want to be late or else Trelawney's going to foresee some sort of horrible death for us."

--

The death sentences that Trelawney had been labeling me had only gotten more ridiculous once it was out that my fathers were Harry and Draco. "Why did you continue this class?" Suta asked me seriously.

"I don't know. I think I'm going to drop it for my N.E.W.T. classes. It's hard to believe that they're only two years away."

"Yeah, and we've O.W.L.s this year. Fun, huh?" Suta added, as the hour bell rang, and the students began to file out of the room. We were nearly out when Suta exclaimed, "Oh! I forgot my book bag back at our table. Let's go get it." We turned around and walked back to the table we shared at the back of the room. Yet, as Suta picked up her bag and we turned back around towards the front of the classroom, Professor Trelawney stared us down with a distant look in her eyes. She opened her mouth and emitted a harsh rasp of a groan.

"_Anna Malfame_," she said with a gasp. "_Wherever you go, death shall follow you. Your friends, your enemies; all have the misfortune of your ill-luck name. Those closest to you shall sacrifice their life while you stand beside them. While one will soar forever, the other shall break the heart of the Pact Maker. The school of Hogwarts shall be betrayed from both sides. The one that was appointed will not sit here, and instead will be replaced by fear. By deceit. By lies. By death. The evil shall reign as long as the Darkness is at large. Be wary of the dark, for it is the signs of the fall of the world. As long as it exists, no magic is safe in the presence of Darkness. Only the light can eradicate it once and for all. And your name shall be put to the test._"

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**A/N: Fufufu, a cliffhanger :D**

**Actually, when I was laying out the plans to this story, I didn't think of half of the stuff that I have in it now. (Originally, Suta wasn't going to exist. Neither was I planning a Trelawney moment.) I was kind of lost as to what to do in this story, but now I know (more or less) what I'm doing.**

**This was a long chapter. The next one will involve talking to McGonagall and thoughts about the prediction and what it meant. It will also deal with the earthquake from this chapter. And then...well, it'll get kind of crazy :D**

**Thanks for reading,**

**akiqueen**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

I felt as if time had suddenly stopped. Professor Trelawney carefully brought her hand up to her face and blinked. "I'm sorry, is there anything you need?" she asked us. I shook my head 'no' and quickly dragged Suta to the stairs heading down.

"We need to see the Headmistress," I told her. She nodded and we rushed to McGonagall's office.

As we neared, I saw Laura and Zack exiting the magic staircase. "Wait!" I yelled, rushing past the stone gargoyles and into the small space. Suta followed behind. As soon as she stepped through, the door closed and we started to spiral upwards.

"What's wrong?" Laura asked me.

"Professor Trelawney had a vision," Suta answered her, "about Anna." When we reached the office doors, I knocked like a madman. The Headmistress opened the doors, looking at us assembled at her door.

"Ms. Malfame, please calm down," she said patiently.

"People are going to die," I shouted, cutting her off. "And it'll be a repeat of second year." The room was deathly quiet after my outburst. Suta came up and said, "Dude, calm down. No one's in trouble right now." I took a deep breath just as the door opened, admitting Professor Snape and my friend Lana. Laura blushed.

"We saw Lana just after you left us to go to Divinations. We asked her to get a Pensieve from Professor Snape, just in case Headmistress McGonagall didn't believe Anna's written testimony," Laura told me and Suta.

"And it _was_ quite hard to believe. Nothing can get through the wards set on the school," Headmistress McGonagall spoke up.

"Yes, there are wards on the school. But the same wards were _not_ used on the school grounds," Snape said calmly, placing a Pensieve carefully onto the Headmistress's desk. "Anna, I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of bringing your Pensieve," Snape added.

"You have your own Pensieve?" almost everyone else in the room asked me.

"Yes, I let Professor Snape hold onto it in his office. I'd rather not have it with me in the dorms, because who knows who might look into it," I said, moving in front of the bowl. I pressed my wand to my head, whisking out a silver memory. I placed it into the bowl, and then murmured an incantation which made images of my memory appear in front of everyone. I replayed the scene from the Quidditch Pitch and Professor Trelawney's vision. After they were done, I handed the Pensieve back to Professor Snape. I looked at the Headmistress, who was visibly pale.

"But what does it mean?" Zack asked hesitantly, almost afraid to ask the question.

"Well, obviously, more people I'm close to will die without me being able to do anything," I said bitterly.

"Anna," Snape warned me. He then flicked his wand, and several couches appeared. He gestured for everyone to sit down and said, "I say that we go through this prophecy one part at a time."

"Better be safe that sorry," Lana added as she got out her notebook. I was sure she had already written down the lines of the prophecy. She sucked on the tip of her quill before smiling. "Let's get started, huh?"

--

"It's clear that someone, possibly more than one person, will die due to your '_ill-luck_' name. What does that mean?" the Headmistress asked me.

"_Mal_-fame. Mal is French for bad," I answered her. Lana wrote the information down.

"'_One will soar forever_' and '_the other shall break the heart of the Pact Maker_' refers to the people who will die," Snape announced to the room. Lana, the Headmistress, and I nodded our heads in agreement.

"But I have no idea who it refers to," I added. "'_The school of Hogwarts shall be betrayed from both sides_'," I mentioned.

"Like… the Light side and the Dark side?" Zack asked.

"Well… I can't see who'd be part of the Light side. I'd think the Order of the Phoenix, but most of the Order left years ago," Lana said. "I think that it means that Hogwarts will be betrayed from someone inside the school, as well as from someone outside of it."

"Oh Merlin," Headmistress McGonagall whispered. "'_The one that was appointed will not sit here, and instead will be replaced by fear. By deceit. By lies. By death._'" We stared at her. "I think it might be talking about our new Headmaster."

"But…I though my mum was going to take over as Headmistress?" Laura asked.

"No, the Ministry rejected Mrs. Weasley, and instead assigned one of their employees to be the new Headmaster," Headmistress McGonagall told us.

"Do you know his name?" Lana asked, quill at the ready.

"Mr. Whiten Forlorn," the Headmistress told us. "It's no one I've ever heard of before."

"Can't we do anything about it?" Zack asked.

"I have as much power as I did back when Umbridge was assigned the Headmistress. There is nothing that I can do," the Headmistress admitted.

"Then let's not waste anymore time on the topic. The students dealt with her, and I'm sure they'll be able to deal with whoever this man is," Snape said. "So, on to the next part… this '_Darkness_' business. Although I am loath to admit it, I have no idea what Professor Trelawney was talking about."

"The prophecy said to '_be wary of the dark_', because '_no magic is safe_' in its presence. Although…I have to agree with Professor Snape. I don't know what this '_Darkness_' could possibly be," Lana said.

"But it does sound like _you_ have to get rid of it," Suta told me, her eyes shining. "And we'll all be there to help you!"

--

We had talked for a while longer, and finally decided that there was nothing that we could do at the moment. Headmistress McGonagall would bring in specially trained wizards to put up extra wards on the school and the grounds, and we all hoped that they wouldn't conflict with the ancient wards that were already set on the school. We decided to keep our eyes, ears, and every other sense open for clues as to what this _Darkness_ could be. We told no one else of this prophecy, except for the Weasleys, Zabinis, and my parents. The only thing that was left to do was to pray to Merlin that whatever was heading our way wouldn't mean the end of us all.

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**A/N: Yay! Another chapter with a bunch of dialogue!! **

**The next chapter will probably be full of accusations, evil Headmasters, House rivalry, possible detentions, and maybe a Mars reference, just for kicks.**

**I hope it's been awesome so far,**

**akiqueen**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The rest of the term went by without a hitch. There weren't any more earthquakes and the school year seemed to be back to normal. Lana, Suta, and I had discussed the prophecy some more in the privacy of our dorms. "So, Lana, you know how you said that Hogwarts would be betrayed from the inside and the outside?" Suta asked. "Who do you think—"

"Lucas Chang," I answered before she could spit the question out. Lana gave me a piercing look.

"The bloke who was sent to my school?" Suta asked. Lana nodded.

"I know you have a rivalry between the two of you," Lana pointed out. "He is out of the school this year…But I can't see what motive he could possibly have." I scowled; Lana was right.

"Who do you think betrayed us from the outside?" Suta asked us.

"The Ministry," both Lana and I said at the same time.

"Something is going on there. First, Remus gets convicted of killing humans weeks after the full moon. He mentions that he saw Lucius at the Ministry. Then, last year, there are these crazy tasks at the Triwizard Tournament. When I ask about it, everything is suddenly kept quiet. And Lucius shows up _again_. Does anyone else see a pattern here?" I asked them.

"That Malfoy enjoys stalking you?" Suta asked, getting a chuckle out of Lana.

"Not only that," Lana said. I shot a glare at her. "But it seems that there is always some connection to the Ministry."

"So… the Headmaster that was assigned by the Ministry is really—Lucius?" I asked incredulously.

"This Lucius guy," Suta started, "sounds like the type who gets others to do his dirty work for him. It sounds like he only comes into the picture when things don't go as planned. Or maybe when he gets impatient." I stared at my friend. I was a little surprised. Sometimes what she said made a lot of sense.

"Voldemort," Lana said. "Doesn't that sound like Voldemort? It would make sense…Lucius, trying to be a new Dark Lord."

"Dark Lords have a tendency of pursuing my family," I said, half joking. "So, if it's improbable that Lucius is going to be this new Headmaster, who do you think it'll be? Someone loyal to Lucius and his ambition to be the new Dark Lord?"

"No doubt," Lana said. "Do you think they'll be under Polyjuice Potion?"

"That's possible. But remember, this is Lucius we're talking about. He'll try to act like Voldemort would."

"Well, I've no idea how he'd do that. And talking can only bring us so close to figuring out this problem. So let's sleep on it, huh?" I offered. The two reluctantly agreed.

--

When the Headmaster came in the week before winter break, he didn't look evil and foreboding. He looked like an average man; graying hair, approximately six feet tall, and a mundane face that was easily forgotten. I didn't feel any evil vibes off of him, either. I wanted to be suspicious of him, but it was hard to do. After the Headmistress introduced him and told her farewells, he gave a prompt speech of how happy he was to be the new Headmaster and the usual dribble this kind of situation entailed. The only remarkable thing he mentioned was that he was personally going to visit with each house to get to know the students. I looked at Suta and Lana, who each shrugged in response. "Is it one of those 'too good to be true' moments?" I whispered to myself once the food appeared and everyone started to eat. Tomorrow, McGonagall wouldn't be here anymore. There wouldn't be anybody standing between him and us.

-

Three days before winter break, Snape talked to all of the fifth years about our job plans and what N.E.W.T. level classes we'd be taking. Suta had already told her teachers via the Floo, and Lana had expressed that she would be interested in becoming an Auror in the field of Investigation. When it was my turn, I had to think hard. I hadn't thought of what I wanted to do after graduating Hogwarts.

"You have excellent grades, Anna," Snape said, pulling me out of my reverie. "What classes are you planning to take next year?"

"What I'm currently studying. Except I'm dropping Divinations."

"So: Transfigurations, Potions, Charms, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures. It's one class too many. At least it's better than two. Are you planning to continue what you've been doing since third year? Take the extra class on Saturday?" I nodded.

"But, I was thinking. Instead of taking the über-long private Potions class you give me," here we both smiled, "Maybe each week I could switch which class I take? And that way, I have an extended education in all of my classes."

"That's a smart idea. I'll talk to your teachers. And you will have to, too. So, what do you want to be that's making you want to take all of these classes?"

"Well…I made a promise to someone once, that I'd try to bring equality to those like Lupin. Werewolves with good souls."

"Not like Fenrir Greyback," he agreed.

"But not only werewolves. Centaurs, Merpeople…you name it."

"That's overreaching a little bit, don't you think? Wizards have never been on equal terms with anyone but themselves. They don't even see Muggles in equal terms as themselves."

"Nonetheless, I'm going to try to learn as much as I can. These Muggles and magical creatures have centuries of knowledge that only the smartest could compare to."

-

I came into the common room and found it completely deserted. I had forgotten one of my textbooks. It was the last day before winter break. So far, Headmaster Forlorn hadn't done anything suspicious. I heard that he had already visited Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. According to some of my friends there, all he had done was look at the rooms and ask questions like: "How do you like your teachers?" and "Do you feel as if you're receiving the education you need?". It was right before lunch and the common room usually had a handful of people who lingered around before going into the Great Hall. Maybe Headmaster Forlorn was talking to everyone right now? But as I searched Slytherin House, there was no one to be found. I finally got my textbook and made my way to the Great Hall for lunch. I made my way to the Slytherin table. Neither Lana nor Suta were there. As I sat down, the entire table was immediately silenced.

"Oh, look. It's the Gryffindor in Slytherin colours," someone from the table said.

"You're not fit to wear them," someone else said.

"What?" I said, more confused rather than outraged at the moment. They continued their verbal assault on me, but rather than thinking on their words, I thought what had caused them to say this. I was tolerated, if anything. My position as Seeker gained me friendship with the rest of the team as well.

"Your father is bloody Harry Potter!" someone shouted, gaining yells of agreement at the statement.

"Yes, well, my other father is bloody Draco Malfoy. And in case you don't remember, he was the Slytherin Prince. And it wasn't because of his looks that got him the position," I said, glaring icy daggers at the nearest Slytherin. "So, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going now." I rose up from the table and made my way to the Gryffindor table which, surprisingly, had Lana and Suta sitting next to Laura and Algie Longbottom, son of Neville and Luna.

"Anna!" Lana said, surprised. "I thought you were skipping lunch! If I had known, I could've warned you—"

"No problem. I managed to get out without losing my head," I said, brushing it off. "But we know what'll happen now."

"What?" Laura asked.

"Usually, Slytherins look out for no one but themselves. Them working together against us is unheard of. I think it's a force to be reckoned with."

"Well, you still have us Gryffindors to rely on," Algie said with a smile.

-

After Tranfigurations with Professor Brown, my friends and I stayed in the classroom like she asked, until my godfather came in. The two Professors nodded at each other before Snape said, "Anna, we've decided that you, Lana, and Suta will be staying in Gryffindor Tower from now on."

"Won't the Headmaster say something about it?" I asked.

"He has no say in the matters between the Heads of Houses. And Professor Brown, being the Head of Gryffindor House, has agreed to let you stay in Gryffindor until further notice. As you know, the whole of Slytherin has seemed to rise against you. I don't know why, and it doesn't seem like I can get any information from them without breaking any rules." Direct like always, my godfather. When we moved into Gryffindor, there were no protests among the older students. Some of the younger ones were too scared to even look at us, though. We were going to be in the same room as Laura and Jessica Weasley, the daughter of Fleur and Bill. I still felt awkward around Jessica, since I couldn't do anything to stop her twin sister, Isabel, from being administered a Dementor's Kiss.

-

Shortly after our move to Gryffindor Tower, it was clear to see that the other Slytherins were trying to get me into trouble whenever they could. They created situations where I could be blamed in almost every class. However, the Professors seemed to be on my side, because they never administered me detentions, just asked for everyone to help in fixing whatever was done. It was then that "I" did something unspeakable. It was about a week after holidays when it happened; we all walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, finding the Slytherin banner torn to shreds. It was impossible to think that the Slytherins would destroy their own emblem to get me in trouble. The Headmaster himself walked right up to me and said, "That's a very low level you have steeped to, Ms. Malfame. I hope it unnecessary to say that those banners were ancient, sown by hand, rather than magic, ages ago. I'm afraid you will have to pay for the repairs and," he said, looking down at me , "you will serve detention with Professor Pringle for two weeks." The money wouldn't be an issue. I was less happy with his choice of Professor. Professor Pringle taught Care of Magical Creatures. No doubt would she have me cleaning, feeding, and taking care of the various magical creatures she used in her lessons.

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**A/N: I am sooooo tired. This equaled three pages, single spaced, on my computer. I'm leaving the detention for the next chapter. I'm going to sleep now Zzzzz.**

**akiqueen**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

I made my way to the hut near the Forbidden Forest, where Professor Pringle told me to meet her. Fortunately, it was my last day of detention with her, and I have to say, I couldn't have been happier. For the last two weeks, I had come back to classes perpetually smelling like manure. My fingernails were sheared to the skin and I had never been so miserable in my entire life. Today, though, was a little bit different. As I approached the Professor, a middle-aged woman who was physically fit and had short, brown hair cropped up to her ears, I saw a familiar friend waiting for me. "Suta?" I called to her, a little confused.

"Snape gave me a detention," she said a little too cheerfully. "It was for something really stupid, but he's always unfair. He thought we could be miserable together." It sounded so much like my godfather, that I found myself believing that she had actually done something wrong.

"Okay, girls," the Professor said, walking closer. "The wards that were put around the grounds did not include the Forbidden Forest; therefore, it has been experiencing some of the more frequent earthquakes. Today we'll be going in to see if any of the magical creatures were hurt. Last night, an earthquake seemed to bring down a couple of the oldest and tallest trees in the forest. If you find that something has been hurt, first administer the healing charm you've recently been studying in Charms, and then direct sparks over to me. The forest is so dense that we won't be able to see it from above the trees. Alright, girls. Off you go, then!" she said happily, as if we should've been honored by her choice of detention.

Suta and I walked inside, taking our last glimpse of sunlight. Not only was it approaching nighttime, but the forest was almost completely pitch-black. I took a step forward and jumped when a twig broke under my feet. This was going to be a long night. "So how did you get a detention?" I asked Suta.

"I literally asked for it. Professor Snape and I just made up some bollocks as a cover for me. I felt like you needed company today." I lit up my wand with a _lumos_ as we continued to walk deeper into the forest. "So what are we looking for?"

"I'm not exactly positive, but maybe a gap in the forest, where trees might've fallen? Although, this _is_ a magical forest. I wouldn't be too surprised if new tress were already—" A sudden moan filled the air. Whatever was making the sound seemed like it was in pain. Whatever it was moaned again, and we quickly ran in that direction. But as quickly as the creature had sounded, it was deadly silent again. We ran forward, and I suddenly tripped on a branch, falling and my light spell breaking. "Suta?" I asked around me. No one answered, and I started to panic. I felt my blood pressure rise, and I stumbled forward, grasping at interfering branches and shoving them over. I suddenly ran into a clearing, but by now the sun had already fallen, and the darkness was just as inky as before. I stepped out further, wondering if I should send sparks to Suta, or maybe the professor. I nearly tripped on a large stone. I bent down, feeling it with my hands. It was about the size of an owl, comparable to my own rust-coloured owl Dirigible. It was rounded and smooth, sort of like rocks from a river or a lake. I briefly wondered if there was water nearby. And that's when I saw the creature. Actually, it saw me. I was suddenly looking into a big disk of an eye, yellow like a cat's. I felt its breath on me. The other eye was bloody and closed. I couldn't breath. Whatever it was, it didn't seem too happy. But I couldn't even make out anything other than its eyes in the dark. Suddenly, a spell illuminated the clearing, bringing me face-to-face with a large dragon. I nearly fainted. The dragon, however, quickly turned to the intruder who had cast the spell; Suta. The blonde seemed to be frozen in place as well, but she quickly steeled herself and took a step forward. The dragon snapped at her. I noticed that a large giant of a tree had fallen on top of the dragon, most likely breaking some of its bones, and leaving it trapped under the monstrosity. Not only that, but the earthquake seemed to have made a fault line right under the dragon. It seemed to be halfway stuck in a ditch. A slimy sort of yellow stuff was oozing from beneath the dragon. The round stone by my feet wasn't a stone. It was the only egg which hadn't been broken. This dragon was dying. It was a mother, protecting her baby. Fuck.

I tried to cast some spells on the dragon, but they seemed to bounce right off. Either it was immune to my magic, or I was too weak of a witch to make an impact. Or maybe both. Either way, the dragon continued to snap at us, keeping us at bay. It had full range of the clearing. But suddenly, its demeanor changed. The dragon stopped trying to hurt us, and sulked down to her remaining egg. She looked wearily at the sky. And I realized why it was so dark. The dark ghosts floated down, and time seemed to slow down. They outstretched their hands and spread them, inflicting us with despair. I didn't know what the dementors were doing here. But I was suddenly sure that I was not going to be alive much longer. My hands fell by my side and I looked over at Suta. She was paralyzed to the ground, and she was staring into the eyes of one of the dementors. She was frowning, and it looked like she was about to cry. The dementor floated closer. An image of my second year flashed through my head, of Isabel being administered the Dementor's Kiss. I took a step forward and braced myself. I couldn't let my best friend die. I had to summon a patronus. I remembered trying to summon one three years ago, asking my dad to tutor me. He never did.

-

_Think of something happy_.

-

I wasn't exactly sure what I thought about; maybe it was the girl standing in front of me that helped me do it. But my voice was the only sound as I pointed my wand and stared at her. "_Expecto Patronum!_" I shouted, hurting my throat. A white light shone from my wand and a form appeared in front of Suta. It was as tall as my friend, feline and fierce. A lion. He bared his fangs and growled, making a show of shaking his mane and staring down the dementors. They fled before his light. "Suta!" I screeched, taking a couple of steps towards her.

"A lion, huh? Sort of like Gryff—" She did not finish her sentence. In that moment, my lion dematerialized. The dragon had gained a sudden spurt of energy, and leaped towards my friend, crushing her, biting her, and clawing at her. I cried and ran up to her, unable to think clearly. The dragon turned to me, opened her jaw—and suddenly fell over. Her eyes were glazed over, and it seemed like the dragon was now dead.

"You're one of the students from Hogwarts," a voice said. I heard hooves.

--

Three centaurs walked out, bows still in their hands. Now that I looked, the dragon had been pierced with an arrow. I looked from the centaurs, to Suta, and back to the dragon. I was speechless. "You should get out of the forest. You have ventured into our territory. If more centaurs come, we will show you no mercy," one of them said, walking closer. I decided to ignore them and fell to Suta's side. There was no doubt about it. She couldn't have survived. I was too shocked to cry.

"Dude, Anna! I'm okay!" I heard a voice. I turned my head to the side and saw a ghostly bird. It cocked its head.

"Suta?" I asked it, and it seemed to nod. "Are you… a ghost or something?"

"Yeah, I'm in my Animagus form," she answered, flying up.

"But… why did you decide to stay?" I asked, perplexed, unconcerned about the centaurs around me.

"You're my best friend. I can't just leave you!" she said happily, and before I could reply, I was heaved up from my armpits by strong arms. A centaur came up to examine me.

"I know your face. Who are you?"

"Anna Malfame," I answered, staring into his eyes.

"Wait!" another of them yelled, "I know her." The centaur in front of me turned to him.

"And how do you know her?"

"I helped her out two years ago. She promised to help us. Her uncle was the werewolf—Lupin," he said. I immediately recognized him as the centaur who helped me find a thestral my third year. The other centaurs looked at each other with wide eyes. They murmured their acceptance of me. But the large centaur in front of me pressed on.

"Wizards' promises amount to nothing," he reminded the group. "You had your chance of getting away," he said, with a nod from the first trio of centaurs. "Our laws permit us to get rid of you. I think you'll be joining your friend soon," he threatened.

"I think you should take her to the Chief," my centaur said, stepping forward. "She can make a centaur's promise with him. Then you can let her go, right?" The rough centaur growled, but acknowledged the statement. Then he turned to me, looking straight into my eyes.

"I'll go," I answered, finding no way out of my predicament alive.

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**A/N: YEEESSSSS!! Done with another chapter! How long since I last updated? Weeks ago!!**

**BTW, Anna marries the centaur who helped her out.**

**Just kidding. I know how this big series will end. ANd it won't nearly be as crappy as JKR's**

**And pardon the swearing :D**

**I hoped you liked the death of Suta,**

**love akiqueen**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Alright, let's go," the rough centaur said, grasping my sleeve and tugging me forward. I stared at him.

"You can't expect me to just leave my best friend's corpse out in the middle of nowhere!" I said, a tinge of hysteria in my voice. "Maybe her soul is still intact, _but her body's dead_!" Tears welled up in my eyes. Suta was calmly sitting on my shoulder; although she was a ghost, it seemed that she still had mass to her. Whether or not all ghosts could do that, I didn't know. But I was too upset to think about it at the moment. The centaur looked annoyed, as if I was just some sort of burden he couldn't get rid of.

"Very well. Then it is your problem to take care of your friend. We will do nothing to help." I glared icily at him and walked over to Suta. Blood was still seeping into the ground, and she had ferocious bites and gashes lining every part of her. I stopped the blood flow and cleared up the skin. I wasn't good enough of a healer to completely patch her up, though. Suta stared calmly at herself, and then turned to me.

"Shoot sparks to the Professor," she told me, "and let her deal with this. Although I don't want to miss the action, I think I should stay here. I can explain what happened, instead of leaving her in the dark." Suta fluttered her wings. "But you have to tell me everything afterwards," she joked, jumping off and landing on the ground. I steeled myself and sent red sparks over to the Professor.

"Let's go, human," the rough centaur said when I was done.

"Gaeen," my centaur warned. "I think that is enough."

"So you finally found the courage to speak up, Ascus?" Gaeen replied harshly. "Just because you had completed your temporary exile does not mean you are exempt from your crimes."

"You forget your place," Ascus replied, quieting the other centaur. Gaeen growled and pushed me forward. As soon as we were about the set out, though, another centaur ran up, flustered.

"We can't move the egg, sir," he told Ascus. "We have tried everything within reason, but it won't budge."

"That's impossible," Gaeen barked, trying to regain some pride. "We all know that dragon eggs are magically connected to the last creature to touch them. The dragon inside should have died with its mother."

"We can determine visible life signs," the other centaur said, a little spooked.

"Ah, that could be my fault," I said. "I touched the egg earlier, before the mother died."

"So does that mean the unborn dragon sees this human as its mother now?" Gaeen asked the centaur.

"Yes, but… The only way it could've latched onto her magic would be if it was nearly the same as the dragons." The other centaur said fearfully. The others turned to me, and seemed to stare at me. Dragons have immense magic power. There was no way I could match it.

"There must be something else to it," Ascus said calmly.

"Well, the baby could have recognized similar traits between the mother and the human. But the only one which distinctly comes to mind is that this certain species of dragon is part basilisk. The connection is from centuries ago, so they can't kill with their eyes, but the snake's blood is still in their veins," he said. My vision swam. All the other centaurs were laughing at the absurd concept, except for Ascus. He looked at me instead.

--

The centaurs watched as I picked up the egg, which was surprisingly light in my hands. Something seemed to stir inside. The other centaurs started to move forward, into the forest, while Ascus stayed behind and waited for me. "Do I need to keep this warm?" I asked him.

"Just your touch is enough. As long as you keep constant contact between yourself and the egg until it starts to hatch, then the baby won't kill you."

"What?" I asked, a little afraid.

"The dragon inside needs to become familiar with your magic. If you don't stay in contact once it hatches, then it will certainly see you as a threat," he told me. We walked a bit in silence before I asked him, "You know who I am, don't you? And I don't mean the part that my uncle was a werewolf." Ascus nodded.

"I learned a lot in my exile. Most of it brought me to the conclusion that we centaurs are too focused on ourselves. We don't pay enough attention to the outside world. The others do not know of last years events, only that you students trespassed without permission. And to think I was once like them," he laughed, seeming older than he actually was.

"Why were you exiled?" I asked him. "You're obviously an important centaur, seeing how they addressed you."

"Yes, I had been chosen as a candidate to be the new chief. That was the year that I helped you find a thestral. I was exiled for a year, not only because of that, but because my father had done the same thing, years ago. He helped out your father, if I remember correctly. He then taught Divinations at Hogwarts."

"Firenze, you mean?"

"Yes. I think they were worried that I'd leave centaur matters behind like my father. Of course, my father was welcomed back into the herd after the Battle of Hogwarts. So, when I came back, I had to prove my strength again."

"Prove your strength?"

"Yes. That's how the new leaders are chosen. It's a show of strength between the candidates. However, even a year away from other centaurs puts you through a lot of trouble. I had learned to fight against creatures they could only defeat in a group. So I won most of the battles. The only one left is between me and the current Chief's son. There are a lot of supporters for both of us, I must say. The younger centaurs, who support the old ways, are supporters of Jhell. The older, wiser centaurs support me."

"So pretty much, I am being used as a political trump card," I said. He looked at me, a little surprised. "Once they know who I am, and that I support you, more centaurs will lean towards you as Chief. I'm thinking that was one of the reasons why you suggested that I come with," I declared, sure of myself. The centaur looked at me with judging eyes.

"It was. And I think it will be to both of our interests if we help one another out, right?"

--

We arrived in a clearing miles off. It was already dawn, and by the sun's light, I could finally see Ascus and the other centaurs clearly. Ascus had blonde hair and blue eyes. His horse half was a tan colour. Gaeen was the complete opposite; black hair, eyes, and coat. The centaurs who had traveled with us moved outwards, forming a circle around two centaurs who looked extremely alike, except for an obvious age difference. I assumed it was the Chief and his son, Jhell. There were other centaurs in the clearing; males who didn't go investigate the dragon, females who hung back behind their mates or fathers, and small centaur children who peered from behind their mothers' flanks to look at me. I felt like a sheep amidst a pack of wolves. Another, older centaur stepped forward, and Ascus addressed him, "Father." Firenze walked to us, and looked down at me. He seemed to recognize me and said, "You're parents… both of them were in this forest in their first year, right?" I nodded, remembering the stories of when the lovebirds used to be enemies.

"Enough of this," the Chief said, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Why did you bring a human here?" he asked Ascus.

"I wish to make a centaur's promise, as a means to be the bridge between centaurs and wizards," I announced loudly, surprising Ascus.

"Just because your uncle was a werewolf doesn't mean we will be more lenient towards you," the Chief told me.

"Your herd held great respect for Albus Dumbledore," I replied.

"Yes, but he was a powerful wizard, and treated us with respect," the Chief said. "While I do not see how you could be powerful."

"Remus Lupin was a pretense," I said, gaining everyone's silence. "His purpose was to hide who my true parents are."

"We centaurs take no interest in human matters," the Chief told me.

"Really?" I replied icily. "Because maybe then you'd know that Voldemort's followers are rising to power." Silence greeted my ears. I was correct. "You'd know that Lucius Malfoy is trying to become the next Dark Lord." More silence.

"That is not our problem," the Chief whispered.

"The war is not over," I told them, "and I have reason to believe that everyone will be involved this time, whether they want to be or not." I blinked. I wasn't usually so passionate. _I'm not a very good Slytherin, Lana_, I thought with a fake smile.

"Just who are you, then?" I took a deep breath, ready to answer. But before I could, the Chief continued his question, "And do you have anything to do with the Darkness?"

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**A/N: DUNDUNDUN!!**

**The centaurs know something! **

**I wrote this instead of doing homework. FTW**

**Please be patient for the next installment of OA **

**Much love, **

**akiqueen**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

I stared at the Chief, transfixed. My mind traveled back to the glazed eyes of Professor Trelawney and I heard myself saying, "How do you know about the Darkness?"

"Why don't you answer my first question?" the Chief asked briskly, causing me to focus and clench my teeth.

"I'm the daughter of Harry Potter," I said, gaining all of the centaurs' attention. Some grew silent, while others laughed and murmured between themselves. "And the daughter of Draco Malfoy," I finished.

"Impossible," someone said clearly, causing another wave of muttering to pass by.

"But don't you _remember_?" someone asked earnestly. "_The prophecy_." The looks between the centaurs shifted to the Chief, who only stared back at me.

"A couple of days ago, we looked onto the stars and they showed us something we had never expected. The position of Mars determined that this was a foretelling. A prophesy. And then it became clear that the stars were talking about a great Darkness," the Chief said. "They told us that it was the manifestation of all of the Earth's negative feelings and dark magic. They said that it was set up by Lord Voldemort decades ago, as a second step in his plan to take over the world. The stars told us that this Darkness was part of a spell that would only intensify. The more magic that was used in the areas where the spell was set, the greater the Darkness would become. We believe that's what has been causing the earthquakes. Hogwarts was one of the places where Voldemort's spells had been cast. Hogwarts is old enough to withstand the spell from the inside, allowing you wizards the normal use of magic, but the energy required by Voldemort's spell had to go somewhere, and so it was concentrated onto the grounds and the forest. The stars are telling us that your normal magic can't be used in the areas that have the highest concentration of this Darkness. Soon enough, other places in the world will be experiencing this as well."

"But what gain did Voldemort hope to achieve in wiping out the ability to use magic in an area?" I asked. "Wouldn't his magic be rendered useless as well?"

"There are many things that your human eyes don't see," a centaur spoke up. It was an aged female, with a demure filly peeking from behind. The filly's eyes were not centered on me, however. She was looking at Ascus. The older centaur walked up, wrapped in near-translucent shawls. She was carrying a flask with both of her hands, which were shaking from age.

"Edda," the Chief said.

"This is the child the stars talked about. The one whose blood has that of the Savior's and that of the Darkness itself. The one who must willingly join the Darkness in order to defeat it," she said.

"Blood of the Darkness?" I asked, looking into the old centaur's eyes.

"You will understand," Edda said, walking up to me and taking my face in her hands. She peered into my eyes and slowly blinked. "Take it out. Those covers on your eyes. They are a Muggle invention, yes?"

"Yes," I said, "It's like glasses. I haven't had my vision magically corrected."

"And that's a good thing, too. Otherwise, my magic won't work on you."

"What magic is this?" I dared to ask.

"It will help you see the unseen. Centaurs have used it to look beyond the stars. I am the designated user of this magic. That is because in order to see more than what the stars offer, we need this magic to allow us to perceive more. The first time one uses the magic, it usually lasts for a couple of years. However, it wears off, and one must put it on more and more often. Which is why I'm here."

"She is our Scry," Ascus provided. "And behind her is Fijjone, her apprentice. She will marry the future chief. Continued use of this magic leads to blindness." I looked closer and, indeed, Edda's eyes were murky and unseeing. Fijjone seemed to be fine, though. I pressed my fingers against my pupils, pulling out the pieces of plastic. My vision became blurry. I couldn't see as Edda seemed to pull off the cap of the flask, placing the contacts inside. She poured out silvery liquid onto them, murmuring some foreign language under her breath. The lid flashed and she handed it to me. There was no liquid left, perhaps burned off by the flash. I placed my contacts back in and took a step back. My vision was filled with some sort of noxious, black gas.

"That will clear," Edda said. True to her word, it seemed to rush away form the light of the moon. "Now, look up and towards Hogwarts. I think you might be shocked by what you see," she warned, turning me towards the direction of the school. I could distantly see the tallest of the towers, but most of the school was obstructed by the dense forest. However, floating above it was something that made my blood run cold and my heart skip a beat. It was a glowing skull, with a large snake slithering out of its mouth. The Dark Mark, set during the Battle of Hogwarts.

---

My knees felt weak and I crumpled to the hoof-beaten ground. The Dark Mark was high enough for me to still see it. What does it mean?

"It means that the Dark Lord was more ingenious than we ever thought," Edda answered, and I was startled to find that I had asked my question out loud.

"I originally thought they were used to mark where a Death Eater attack had been," I said noxiously, feeling my stomach churn. "And now you're telling me that he actually had a different motive. That these prevent magic from being used…if that's it, then why was I able to send out a spark earlier?"

"I believe Lord Voldemort has control over when the Dark Mark will start to work, and how strongly as well."

"You are insisting that Voldemort is still alive," I said; it was not a question. "But, how? My father, Harry Potter, killed him. Or at least, that's what the entire wizarding world was led to believe."

"You think that he would really only limit himself to seven Horcruxes?" Edda asked me, turning to the other centaurs. "You know what goes in to the process of making a Horcrux. It involves killing someone and then using that death to imbed your soul into an object. It was done to your father, Harry Potter. And, to your other father as well, his parents, your godfather, the—l"

"Wait, _what_?!" I said, horrified. "What are you talking about?" Edda looked me straight in the eyes.

"Voldemort would never bother with Muggle souls to use in his spell. No, it was those who followed him. What do you really think he did with those that disobeyed him? He killed them, and then used their deaths to bind their family members to him with the Dark Mark. The ink that is engraved into their left forearms contains Voldemort's soul. Why else didn't the Dark Marks disappear from their owners? But it also reacts with the spells they cast above their targets—those with the Dark Mark are resistant to the magic-depleting effects of his spell."

"So, if Merlin forbids, we end up fighting them, they will be able to use magic against us and we'd be stuck with our fists," I said, my face in my hands.

"The good thing is that a man can only split his soul so much before it loses all traces of humanity, even the petty little emotion that Voldemort had stripped himself down to. Through the stars I have determined that the only traces of his soul that are left are the ones he placed on the skin of his followers."

"But…that's Severus. And although I have never met her, Narcissa, my grandmother. And Lana's parents, too, I think…"

"And your father," Edda reminded me.

"But…Voldemort destroyed that part of his soul himself…" Edda stared pointedly at me.

"That's not who I'm talking about," she said, and I was silent. Draco never wore short-sleeved shirts. Even in the blistering heat, he had long, solid shirts on which weren't see-through. I couldn't accept it; we had never talked about it, and Draco had never confronted me about it, but the evidence was convincing.

"You're telling me that…most of my loved ones need to be _killed_ to be rid of Voldemort forever?"

"It's a great possibility," Edda admitted. I stared at her.

"And how long will the magic on my contacts last? How long will I be able to see these kinds of things? I can only keep them in for a month," I said desperately, trying to get out of the conversation.

"The magic I used bound them to your eyes for the duration of the magic I infused them with; so a couple of years. It will retain you vision until that period is over, and they will dissolve into harmless water afterwards." My head swam. I looked up, saw the skull glaring at me with its hollow eyes and swooned. My vision went blank.

---

When I woke up, the first rays of dawn where reaching the forest. I found myself bound; my wrists were tied tightly behind me back and I was restrained against a tree, facing the large opening, where Ascus was facing Jhell, the Chief's son in battle over the title of Chief. The dragon egg was in my lap. Fijjone, Edda's apprentice, was standing next to me, wearing a crown of flowers, to signify some sort of marital status. "Just as I am bound to be the wife of whoever wins this challenge, you are bound with your life. Ascus is fighting for your life, along with those who support him, and Jhell is opposed to let you live."

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"We have imparted too much on you. Some do not want a human with any knowledge of our customs at all."

"But… the whole thing with Edda, and…"

"I have no claim over Jhell's words. He said he would get rid of you, with hearty agreement. And Ascus said he would not only make a centaur's promise with you, he'd initiate you into our herd." I stared at her. "It came from a heated argument between the two of them. You may be a witch and I may be a centaur, but men are alike no matter the species."

"And you? Who do you support?" I asked her.

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?" she said, never once turning to face me. I stared at the two centaurs in the middle, fidgeting with the rope around my body and my hands. My wand, I noticed, was not with me. It was being held by Fijjone. Well. Some sort of signal sounded, deep and short, and I saw the current chief holding a carved bone to his lips. The two centaurs grunted and charged at each other, getting into an awkward wrestling match. Jhell seemed to quickly overpower Ascus with brute strength. He was much more bulky and looked a lot heavier. Ascus's muscled bulged as he tried to struggle the other centaur's arms away from his throat. I hoped Ascus's claims wouldn't be short-lived.

"How is a winner determined? It isn't a battle to the death," I said.

"They would hope so. Losing a match is very shameful. Letting them die would be a mercy. But the point is for one of them to fall over. We are, unfortunately, like real horses and cannot get up once we fall. We need help from others just to stand up." I turned my attention back to the fight and noticed that Ascus took out some hidden strength, gathered his energy, and took Jhell's shoulders, pushing him harshly into a tree, causing Jhell's legs to buckle and crack under his weight. The sound of bone breaking caused my stomach to flip as Fijjone threw my wand back at me. I caught it at the edges of my fingertips, casting hasty spells to cut my bonds. When I glanced back, I almost averted my eyes again. I didn't know marriages for centaurs involved mating in front of the herd. I glanced at Edda, who seemed to urge me to watch, and so I did. Finally, once they were done, Ascus called me forth, knowing that I had done away with the rope. I reached him, placed the dragon egg at my feet close enough for contact, and he grasped my elbows. I did the same to him. The herd was watching as he said, "I, Ascus, as the new Chief, welcome you into my tribe. Through the centaur's promise, you must agree to never talk about our private matters nor any matters involving this herd without my express permission. Doing so will result in your death. First off, I forbid you to talk about anything that happened here. You can say that the centaurs carried you off, but soon let you go when they decided you had nothing to do with the earthquake. Now, I welcome you into the herd as a fellow centaur. Among these centaurs, and the other centaurs of the world, you will be recognized as a kinsman. This is a great honor, Anna Malfame, daughter of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy." Perhaps the old magic of name calling made me respond in the correct words.

"I gratefully accept, Chief Ascus, son of Firenze."

"Now, the only thing you have to do is live up to your promise," he reminded me.

"I was planning to do that whether I became a centaur or not," I answered. Ascus turned around and went towards some other centaurs, talking amongst them. I turned to Fijjone, who was standing next to me. Some centaurs came and gave signs of acknowledgement. Some took my elbows like Ascus. I turned to the new wife of Ascus, who smiled.

"You should be grateful. By accepting you personally, and a human no less, he has given you a status nearly as high as mine or Edda's."

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**A/N: Done, lol :D Long time, no writing. But I outdid myself as more things tie together w**

**So many twists to make, though! ;)**

**Much love, **

**akiqueen**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

I was guided to the edges of the Forbidden Forest, where the centaurs left me. I pushed through the last brambles and branches of the forest, finding myself in the company of a handful of professors and students. Suta flew to my shoulder, and everyone was deathly silent as they watched me. They looked at me and the dragon egg in my arms, until the Headmaster, among the professors, came up and said, "We have already sent your friend's body to her family. Suta said that you were taken by the centaurs…but as I can see, other than a few scratches and bruises, you look okay. What happened?" I looked around at the faces, picking out my friends from among the crowd. Their eyes were asking the same question. I turned to look at Severus, who was shifting awkwardly in the sun. I smiled flatly, looking into his eyes and the eyes of my friends as I said, "Nothing much. They held me for a while, but when they determined that, as someone who hadn't reached the age of majority, they had to let me go. It was a very dull night." My focus flickered to the floating skull above Hogwarts. It seems I had let my vision stand there for too long, because the Headmaster looked up in the same direction. Some others looked up too, but they were confused. Headmaster Forlorn's lips were set in a thin grimace. He glanced down at me.

"May I speak to you alone, Ms. Malfame?" he asked me. His eyes were dark and harsh; I felt a chill up my spine.

"It was a tiring night," I conceded, "and I think that I deserve a day of rest, right? Besides, I need to talk to my godfather." The Headmaster said nothing for a second, but grated out in a demanding voice, "But I insist. It is very important, concerning the death of your friend. She is welcome to come too." His eyes told me a different story: "_I demand you tell me the truth!_" I ignored him for now, clutching Severus's left arm, pressing against where I thought the Dark Mark would be on his concealed forearm. According to the demands of the centaurs, I couldn't tell him, or anyone else, about anything. At least, for now I couldn't. I turned to leave with the Headmaster.

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I followed the Headmaster into an unused classroom. He locked the door with a flick of his wand, and I felt the hairs of my neck raise. I wasn't feeling too good about this confrontation. "Ms. Malfame. I will ask you again. What happened in the Forbidden Forest?" the Headmaster asked calmly.

"I cannot tell you," I answered truthfully.

"As Headmaster of Hogwarts, I demand that you tell me," he said, the pitch of his voice rising, but his face calm and serene.

"I cannot," I said quietly. The Headmaster took a step forward. Suta squawked and flew up as he held my shoulders. She took one look at me and flew through the wall and out of the room.

"Curses, the blasted girl!" he swore under his breath. I was shocked by the angry words coming from his calm face. "I forgot that she's a ghost now. No matter. If you won't tell me, I'll pull the information from you!" He stared into my eyes, and I felt a sudden invasion of privacy. He was using Legilimency. I didn't know how to defend myself as I saw him pick through my memories; thank goodness most of them were in my Pensieve. I wasn't aware of what he was looking at or what he learned about me, but my knees trembles as his grip tightened. Suddenly, there was a loud knock against the door. The Headmaster jumped in his spot, and I hooked onto the distraction, telling myself to push the man's mind away. Perhaps I had some natural form of the mind-reading magic as well, because it worked too well; my mind pushed into his, and I was seeing flashes of his memories: him talking with the Heads of Houses; a moment between him and a woman, sitting in a fancy restaurant, toasting each other with red wine, a gleaming ring on her finger; the same woman, dead, a ghastly figure in front of her; a wand at his left forearm and a pair of gleaming eyes with slits for pupils.

I gasped and took a step back, our minds disentangling themselves. "What did you see?" he asked me harshly, the anger clear on his face. "Tell me!" he screamed. I said nothing and he flipped his wand to point at me. "You will tell me what you saw, or I will not hesitate to hurt you."

"And how would that look, if I tell the media about an abusive Headmaster?" I retorted. It was not the right thing to say. He gritted his teeth.

"_Crucio_," he stated. I was shocked and didn't become aware of myself until I was on the floor, writhing in pain. Someone was breaking my bones, one at a time or a handful at once. My skin was on fire, and then it was ice-cold. My heart clenched and my muscles contracted painfully. My eyes pressed against my skull and millions of knifes cut my skin. It was worse than any Quidditch injury I had ever taken. It lasted for hours. Or perhaps seconds. I just knew that I was still shaking on the floor, the aftershocks of the pain still coursing through my body, causing my muscles and hands to twitch. "What did you see?" he asked me again. I said nothing, tasting blood where I had bitten my tongue and lips. My fingernails were gouging the skin of my palms. "Fine, then," he said finally, "but if you decide to tell someone, know that I can do much worse to them than the Cruciatus Curse." The door opened, admitting in Professor Brown, the Head of Gryffindor House, and my godfather.

"What happened?" Severus asked me.

"…nothing," I said reluctantly, moving out with him.

---

We were alone in Severus's private room. Suta was with Lana, upon my request to be alone with the Potions Master. I knew that my godfather was a strong Occlumens, and so I withheld nothing as I told him about what had happened between the Headmaster and me. He grew pale when I mentioned seeing the unmistakable form of Voldemort and he only grew paler at the mention of the curse used against me. He had an assortment of potions in his wake, dabbing at my wounds. He was just as adequate as Madam Patil, our infirmary nurse. "Do you recognize him?" I asked Severus.

"No. I knew everyone who came into the Dark Lord's ranks, seeing as Lord Voldemort held me in high regards," Severus Snape said wryly. "Until I defected from his side, of course. If it wasn't for Potter, I'd have never made it out alive. So if someone joined after I left, then I wouldn't know about it." He leaned back from me, done with bandaging my wounds.

"You need to teach me Occlumency," I said.

"I know. But how about you rest before we think too much on that? Anna…what will you do now? I'm strong in defending my mind, but your friends have no practice—will you really trust them with this?"

"No. I will just have to figure out the puzzle myself."

"What happened in the Forbidden Forest?" Severus asked me.

"I…I cannot tell you," I said. I cut off Severus as he was about to respond, "It wasn't because of a threat more than a promise the centaur's put me up to. A centaur's promise. So, I don't even think I can put this memory into my Pensieve."

"I wouldn't look into it, even if I could. You have your own personal spell on it that only allows you to view it, correct?"

"Yes, but…this way, if I die, the memory dies with me. It will not be left for other people to view, just as the centaurs had wished." I left my godfather on that note.

It wasn't long before my friends were asking me the same questions Severus had asked me—what had really happened in the Forbidden Forest? And what had happened during my meeting with the Headmaster. I shook them all away, perhaps breaking the hearts of those closest to me. But I took no notice of Laura Weasley's worried glances or Algie Longbottom's exasperated silences. It was worse when it came to Suta, but she responded with slowly severing ties with me, hanging on the shoulders of Lana or my other classmates. And there was Lana, who I confronted about a week after my talk with Severus. "Lana," I said as we walked into our room in the Gryffindor tower. We still hadn't been moved to the dungeons, but it was increasingly difficult to wake up around my Gryffindor friends, unable to say anything. "Can I borrow your Death Eater notes? I want to look over the collected names." We were alone.

"Yes, Anna," she said, unlocking a hidden department in her trunk with an intricate spell, shuffling through it, and finally handing me a long list of names. It was meaningless to say what happened next. Lana asked me what had happened. I refused to say anything. She stared at me, and I felt the cold hate of the time when she was angry at me for getting chosen as the Hogwarts Champion in the Triwizard Tournament return. She distanced away from me and nearly cut all ties from me. She let me borrow her material, but we never talked beyond that. Perhaps she expected me to run to her and tell her everything. I did not. I felt like I was holding a handful of broken strings that once used to be the ties to my friends. There were none left.

It was a surprise when someone came up to me. I was the only person in the Great Hall, working diligently on an essay, when someone took the seat next to me. I didn't look, but she asked, "You hate Lucas Change, don't you?" I turned to her. Her eyes were black, her iris and pupil undistinguishable from one another. Her skin was a dark brown, reminding me of Madam Patil. "I'm Elena Patil, the daughter of the nurse," she said, "Lucas and I were betrothed to one another by our parents. I am his fiancée." I gaped at her. "And although I do not love him, my mother has persuaded to at least get to know him. You know that he entered Hogwarts later than usual? Both of us are in our fifth year of Hogwarts, and he would've graduated by now…I think he's five or so years older? It doesn't show, does it? He was so small back in our first year. I think he's using some form of Transfiguration to conceal his real looks. But that's not the point. Anyways, I decided to write him a letter to the school he went to for that exchange program. And this is the reply," she said, handing a letter to me, the wax seal broken. I read the letter, my eyes widening in the process:

_Ms. Patil,_

_We are afraid to inform you that our school hasn't accepted anyone from Hogwarts, much less the person you are asking for, Lucas Chang. It is true that we set up an exchange program for the year, but it was only to have our student, Suta—_

I stopped reading; it was enough. "Elena…" I said. She was wearing the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw. She stopped me with a hand. "Other than me, you were the only one Lucas really talked to, even if it was in spite. And it looks like you need a friend now, seeing that all of yours cannot accept your silence."

"What do you have to gain from this?" I asked. This was a Ravenclaw. They always had ulterior motives for anything they did.

"I know nothing about my husband-to-be," Elena told me. "And if you didn't know, Ravenclaws are too competitive for grades to be worried about friendship. And we only hold lose ties with other Houses. Let this be a friendship based off of loneliness." And it was done.

---

The rest of the year was spent in a calm way; my friends were still keeping their distance and Elena and I were meeting more frequently, our talk developing from Lucas Chang to wider topics. First it was conversations about school, and then we shared bits and pieces of our personal lives. I had told her about my time with my "niece" and finding about Lucas's preference for men. Elena wasn't disappointed. She only sniffed, as if she expected something like that. She herself didn't know why her parents had arranged the betrothal. In fact, that's why she had wanted to mail Lucas, to ask if there was some way both of them could protest against it.

O.W.L.s went by smoothly.

I was also steadily working through the puzzle of the Headmaster's identity. None of the descriptions fit him perfectly, and I also had the discouraging thought that he could be using Polyjuice Potion. What would a follower of Voldemort do? How do they think? Well, they strive to be like their master. It wasn't until later when it hit me. Just as Tom Riddle had used the letters of his name to become Voldemort, I wrote out the name _Whiten Forlorn_. I made a list of people with the same letters in their names, keeping in mind that they could've used only a part of their name. And it only worked too well. At the end of the school year, the House Cup was awarded to the Gryffindors. The Slytherins hissed at them, but everyone else clapped or cheered. The next day, everyone was boarding the Hogwarts Express, ready to go home. And so was I. But I was not that lucky this year; I was to meet Severus at Hogsmeade instead of boarding the train. He would be taking me to his home, the location unknown to anyone but himself, in order to train me in Occlumency. And, as we walked into Hogsmeade, dragging along my trunks, Dirigible the red-horned owl, and other loose ends and odds, I was desperately clutching the list of Death Eaters Lana had given me. There were a couple of marks as to who it might be, but there was a large circle over the most likely member. I felt the familiar tug as we Apparated into a field. The sheet of parchment wavered in the breeze.

Rowle Thorfinn.

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**A/N: Done with 5th year. I think the whole thing with using the letters to write out Voldemort was just a movie concept, but I liked it. **

**Tell me what you think.**

**Much love,**

**akiqueen**


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